AN: . everyone. I usually don't take too long to update a chapter and I am so sorry about that! You'll see...Writer's block could be a pain in the ass some times...
But, anyway, I'll make it up for you. I'm updating two chapters now (and I have another one, which would be..chapter..4? yeah, chapter 4 but I'm not sure if it¡s ready yet. Final cuts and everything...)
So. About this chapter. I'm not saying much because there's not much to say. It is, as my betas called it, a "bridge" chapter. I thought I have to write this to explain some things that had happened and that WILL happen in a near future...so maybe that's because you might get the feeling that it's not happening very much in here. Maybe that's just me...whatever. I'm posting the third one in a bit :) thanks for the patience!
And, by the way, Julian and Logan belong to CP Coulter, the others are mine :D
The door of the chalet opened.
"Logan, we're here!"
Marianne sighed and dropped her purse on a beige couch of the wide living room. They had troubles finding some place nice to stay for their weekend in Ohio –not because there weren't any but because the two of them wanted something different (being the two of them Logan and Marianne, Julian just wanted to see his son happy). Finally, they decided to check into a chalet complex near by the Hoover Reservoir. It was quiet, peaceful and far –way too far –from Dalton. That's the only thing the actor had in mind: wherever they go, they will not staying closer to his former school.
Too many memories.
"You've been quiet all the way back here" Julian kept walking looking around for his son "More than usual" Marianne mumbled.
"Logan? Logan, where are you?"
"Jul! Don't ignore me!" the actor began to walk to his son's room –nothing. Marianne frowned and followed him "Julian Larson, I am talking!" Well, shut up! "Are you mad because of what I said to Logan about marriage?"
Julian stood still for a while. I am furious. He turned around to look at his wife and raised his arms in desperation "I mean… What the hell Marianne?" the blonde was caught off guard and took a step back from her husband "Why did you say that? Does marriage mean nothing to you? What were you thinking?"
Marianne smiled softly after a while and closed the distance between them "Oh, Jul!" she tried to hug him but the actor shoved her away. Marianne frowned "Julian come on! It's not a big deal" Julian scoffed in response "Besides, you are my Brad and I am Angie, remember?" she grinned.
"Not a big-?" The brunet clenched his jaw. God, why did I marry this woman? "You can't say those things. Not in front of Logan Wright!"
The blonde rolled her green piercing eyes "Why? Do you think Mr. Senator' son would think shit about us, about our marriage?" Julian couldn't handle it anymore. He walked away, maybe Logan was playing in the woods with the nanny "Julian, I know that image is everything to you but, come on, it's just one silly person!" she laughed.
"It's not just one silly person" Julian narrowed his eyes and yelled "IT'S LOGAN WRIGHT, MARIANNE! You have no idea how he is."
A pause. "I thought neither do you" She crossed her arms and cocked a suspicious eyebrow. Julian swallowed slowly "I thought you weren't friends"
"I don't need to be his friend to know that" he muttered making fists "Besides, you can't just…encourage someone to break a family apart"
"Okay, you know what?" she took her husband by the arm to turn him around. Her gaze was intense; she'd had enough "I said it, deal with it"
And before Julian could reply to his wife the sound of hurried feet interrupted them. A childish voice came from the door yelling "Daddy!" and running towards him with his arms already raised and wide opened. Julian's face changed in a bit and got on his knees to lift little Logan up "Hey Lo!" he grinned widely. Marianne rolled her eyes and huffed, she hated when Julian left her at the middle of a discussion "Are you ready for the zoo?" he opened his eyes in excitement and his son copied him grinning "Zoo!" the little boy screamed hugging Julian's neck tightly "Can we see the lions, daddy?"
"Of course you can sweetheart" Marianne pinched his cheek with a huge smile "But first give mommy a hug" She opened her arms and Logan leaned in to her giving her a wet kiss on the cheek.
Julian waited patiently and greeted Dana when she entered the living room with some toys Logan had left outside "Did you miss mommy?" He heard his wife ask and the little boy nodded looking at her intensely. For a four year-old he could get a lot with just a look "Are you coming with daddy and I to the zoo?" the kid was too excited that he was unconsciously kicking his mother's belly. Marianne stared at him for a moment and then looked at Julian who just raised an eyebrow expectantly "Uhm, I don't think so sweetheart" she put Logan on the floor and smiled at him tenderly "Mommy is tired from the flight, but you go with daddy and then you tell me all about it, okay?"
Logan kissed his mother goodbye and then ran towards his dad dragging him across the living room "Come on daddy, I wanna see the lions!"
It was always that way: the very same beginning and the very same ending every single time. She knew it. She always knew that she couldn't compete with her son. Julian would always put Logan before anything else and, who could blame him? Marianne also adored Logan, he was her son: he was part of their family. But the love that Julian gave him wasn't equivalent to anything else. She tried to understand why and she came out with the idea that it was maybe because Julian was a celebrity since he was a child. His parents were divorced and the two of them were very important people in the entertainment industry. They barely had time to raise Julian properly and, she thanked those psychology classes at college to figure that out, he didn't want that for his son.
But it was so annoying to leave an argument unsolved. It was so annoying to let Julian get his way. It was so damn annoying not to hear an apology from him! And now she was in the freaking woods, in the middle of nowhere-Ohio and alone. All her friends decided to do a shopping-trip to New York that weekend but no, she decided to be a good wife for a change and be there for her Jul. She could travel to NY whenever she wanted to, but when Julian got the invitation one month ago she knew what she had to do. She decided to surprise her husband and responded the e-mail in Julian's name. She got the three of them (and Dana, Logan's beloved nanny) flying tickets to Ohio and they would stay there. She was thinking…a Hilton, maybe a Marriott. Did the Ritz have a building there? Whatever, she would get Carmen to make the arrangements. If Julian stared in silence at that invitation for at least fifteen minutes when he received it maybe it was because he was nostalgic but he didn't want to make a big deal about it.
She was such a good wife.
"…And here are your keys. You will find an extra copy next to the phone in your room, just in case. The bellboy will help you with your-" The petite ginger laughed nervously and made eye contact with the man in front of the counter for just a second "Right. You don't have luggage" The man nodded smiling "So," she cleared her throat. She couldn't believe it. First Julian Larson checked in and now that incredibly hot blond guy too? When did Ohio get so interesting? "If there's anything else I can do for you Mr. Wright, I…"
Logan chuckled charmingly and leaned into the counter staring at her hazel eyes intensely "That's alright, I can take it from here" the younger girl giggled and bit her lip while watching –staring at- Logan walking away.
And then she saw how a woman stopped Mr. Wright before he could leave the lobby. She seemed pretty darn excited.
"Logan? Is that you?" Damn, this woman again "Oh my God, what are the odds!" Her big green eyes were almost popping out of her face. Logan forced his lips to give her a smile and nodded pretending excitement.
"Hi Marianne. Yeah, I'm…" Logan scratched his head at Marianne's expectant look. He chuckled "This is truly a surprise"
"Oh, but what a wonderful surprise! This is great, now I don't have to be here all by myself! I can talk with you!" she grinned.
The hell you are. "By yourself? Where's Julian?"
Marianne rolled her eyes in content "He and Logan went to the zoo for the afternoon. They should be back soon, I guess" Logan nodded and waited for Marianne to continue. She just couldn't be quiet for a moment, could she? "Oh, this is lovely, Logan! I know you and my husband weren't exactly friends at school but I bet you two would get along quickly." She winked at him "Say…would you join us for dinner?"
Logan laughed uncomfortable. Yeah, I'm sure Jules would be delighted. "I'm afraid I have to pass. I have some work to do"
"Oh, that's too bad" she was actually upset, Logan smiled "I was hoping you could meet our son," she bit her lip innocently "our Logan" And the blond man's heart started cracking.
Their Logan. Yes, of course. Not ours, theirs. He couldn't have that. Not with Julian, not anymore.
But if John Logan Wright wants something he will find the way to have it. No matter how much Julian seemed to hate him right now. There was something…he couldn't put a finger on it but there was. Something was telling him that Julian hadn't forgotten him. That all his hate was because somewhere deep inside he still had feelings for him. He didn't know what or why, but he was staying to find it out.
Because, then again –and Julian never got tired of saying this when they were boyfriends (boyfriends) –he was a 'giant squid of ignorance'.
"Well," the woman sighed shaking her head and grinning again "tomorrow maybe? I have to admit, I'm not much of an outdoor person but Julian actually picked a really nice place to stay" Logan snapped out of his thoughts and looked around. The place was really magical "Jul's agent" again with the freaking Jul! "chose the place for us and apparently Julian came here before" She took a deep, excited, breath "When he was at Dalton, I mean. It was like a motel, or a bunch of cabins or something. It took him a while but he remembered something about this place that made him smile-"
And Marianne's voice started to feel far away. Like an obnoxious echo. Logan looked outside. Wait a minute… The place didn't seem familiar to him but… Jules here, when? Marianne kept talking but Logan was too busy forcing his mind to remember something –anything. He couldn't come by himself, he…
"Anyway" the blonde somehow managed to catch Logan's attention with her powerful voice "It was nice to talk to you. I'll see you later?" Logan nodded and stood still for a while, watching her go. Nothing seemed familiar. Julian hated the woods. When? How? With whom?
Eventually, he'd find out.
He just needed to make Julian talk to him.
AN: As I said, bridge chapter. Hang on, I'm updating the third one which -I think- it's what we're all waiting for.
PS: I need to say this. So sorry about the english. It sucks :D